Whilst this result is a good one, and we should not attempt to deride it, let us just remember that if this result had gone the other way, we (and I included) would be up in arms against the majority voting against the rights of the minority.

I am against the majority voting on giving (or taking away) rights of the minority. These kinds of rights should be extended to all as a matter of law and should not depend solely on popular approval or disapproval.

Whilst this result is a good one, and we should not attempt to deride it, let us just remember that if this result had gone the other way, we (and I included) would be up in arms against the majority voting against the rights of the minority.

I am against the majority voting on giving (or taking away) rights of the minority. These kinds of rights should be extended to all as a matter of law and should not depend solely on popular approval or disapproval.

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This referendum shows Ireland's majority (straight community) voted in their droves for Ireland's 7-8% gay populace. there was no chance the Gay minority could have got this passed without the overwhelming support of our straight neighbours, friends and communities.

The win here is not really for gay marriage but in the fact the vast majority of regular people who believe that All in their community are and should be treated equal. And that in itself is glorious and should be celebrated.

This referendum shows Ireland majority (straight community) voted in their droves for Ireland's 7-8% gay populace. there was no chance the Gay minority could have got this passed without the overwhelming support of our straight neighbours, friends and communities.

The win here is not really for gay marriage but for the vast majority if regular people who believe that All in their community are and should be treated equal. And that in itself is glorious and should be celebrated.

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I was going to mention this, because it is important to know.

This is the only national election where the popular vote decided this. Not law passed by the government, nor any court rulings. This was taken to the people, and the people voted for this. And this is also coming from a place where 20 years ago, divorce was illegal, and when married, women had to give up their jobs and stay home.

Finally, for this to happen, some of those who are straight that voted for this are in the Catholic Church. That says a hell of a lot.

It's really unfair to rag on the US. We aren't a centralized country like a lot of these other countries that have legalized marriage equality before us. The USA has no mechanism for enacting country-wide change on issues like this. Certain parts of the US are some of the most liberal in the world, and enacted LGBT rights decades before parts of Europe. Ireland didn't legalize homosexuality until 1993, Illinois did it in 1969. Other parts are pretty much as conservative as Eastern Europe and probably still have a ways to go until SCOTUS forces their hand, as SCOTUS has done throughout history on issues of social progress once the country has tipped in favor (looking at the South). This system has its benefits (social progress in certain parts of the country decades before it would have come about nationally) and negatives (the same for social delay). We should celebrate the states that have made progress and work to change the states that haven't.

Great stuff from Ireland.Especially so as it shows how the stranglehold of the Irish Catholic church has been broken in the last twenty years.By the way it's an amendment to the Irish constitution.
As someone above observed because of a quirk in referendum voting if you are an Irish citizen but have lived in another country for up to eighteen months you could vote but had to return to Ireland to do it.Hence the vids of Irish people flying in from all over the world to vote and parties on the train to Holyhead as people returned home just to vote.

sad thing is if Ireland had got through the semi's - there's a good chance because of today's historic win, there may have been some extra European votes thrown Ireland way based solely on the referendum outcome as a show of solidarity - rather than song .. (Our song wasn't great by any means).

If Australia win, they will nominate any european country to host it next year .... So come on Oz lets gets Dorothy on the way over the Rainbow

There are so many religious people on this board who claim that most people of their religion do not hold these views. Why do they allow people, such as those in the comments of the above article, to portray such a hateful image? Where are the many religious folk countering these comments? Where are the religious people proclaiming us to love thy neighbour? Why doesn't the Church itself dispel these views?

Instead, the internet is filled with people predicting apocalypse, the end of civilisation, and the decline of humanity.

You would think that if they wanted people to stop thinking they were bigoted and hateful, they would try a little harder to dispel the prominent messages coming from their fellow believers.

There are so many religious people on this board who claim that most people of their religion do not hold these views. Why do they allow people, such as those in the comments of the above article, to portray such a hateful image? Where are the many religious folk countering these comments? Where are the religious people proclaiming us to love thy neighbour? Why doesn't the Church itself dispel these views?

Instead, the internet is filled with people predicting apocalypse, the end of civilisation, and the decline of humanity.

You would think that if they wanted people to stop thinking they were bigoted and hateful, they would try a little harder to dispel the prominent messages coming from their fellow believers.

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Some people are just hateful I'm afraid. That article was written clearly by an ignorant zealot who didn't understand what people were really voting for.

Firstly his inference that Yes campaign had foreign support, indeed it did, but the No campaign also had vast foreign financial support from the right wing US religious organisations.

Secondly at no point were the Irish people ever told this would hurt our economy. That was never ever brought into discussion.

His third utter bulshit statement that Yes had 3x the coverage is also false. Ireland referendums have a mandate that ALL sides are given 50/50 coverage in all broadcast / printed material. Indeed it made me honestly think the NO campaign were winning a lot of the time because I live in rural ireland and only ever saw NO campaign posters.

The article is utter nonsense and completely inaccurate and written by someone who clearly is homophobic.

As for the commenters / trolls - well anyone calling himself MrEbolaVirus sums up why discussion boards are horrible places at times. It's just hateful stuff said in the name of religion, and not one of them are being good Christians posting detritus like that. Their posts are not about gay marriage, just anti gay period - so how do you argue sense with someone so homophobic, ignorant and prejudice. You can't.

Re: church here..

Thankfully even a number number of priests here refused to issue the bishops statement against the marriage referendum - one priest in particular turned to his congregation and said I'm voting yes, but if you want to read the bishops statement it's available ....

The haters can hate, but the people have spoke and now it's going to be protected in our constitution. The Irish populace have proven they believe in equality, if the church continue to isolate sections of the community, they will lose more than just that community.

As for the no campaign here, it focussed on elements that were insulting to many many heterosexual families here, making their scare tactics fall on deaf ears.

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